Spike.



's. A. NELSON & 0. LONDON.

SPIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1. I9I5- Patented July 10, 1917, I

al v SWAN A. NELSON AND OLIVEB LONDON, PATTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO MATT COLLAR, OF FATTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPIKE;

resales.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pgmtanted July 10, 1917.,

Application filed Apri1 7, 1915. Serial No. 19,769.

To all whom it may concern:

-Be it known that we, SWAN A. NnLsoN and OLIVER LoNDoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Patton, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spikes; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art 'to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to spikes and more particularly to devices of this character especially designed for securing rails upon ties, and has for its primary object to provide simple and eflicientm'eans'for reliably locking the spike against removal.

Another object is the provision of a spike having a longitudinal groove in its rear face,

one end of the inner wall of which is inclined or curved outwardly relative to the longitudinal center of the spike shank to effect a lateral deflection of one end of a locking member inserted in the groove.

Another object is to so construct and arrange the spike proper and locking member that these parts may be simultaneously driven into the tie or other object and the locking member subsequently driven inwardly relative to the spike to reliably lock the latter against removal.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts as will be hereinafter specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:.

Figure 1 represents a sectional view through a railroad tie and rail, illustrating the improved spike applied to use.

Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of the spike proper removed.

Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the locking member removed.

Fig. 4 represents a transverse sectional view in the plane of the line l4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 represents a transverse sectional view in the plane of the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 represents a transverse sectional view through a spike of slightly modified construction, and

Fig. 7 represents a rear elevation of the spike, partly broken away, and showing a portion of the locking element broken away in the plane of the rear surface of the spike shank.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,'the numeral 8 indicates generally the spike proper, which includes the shank 9 preferably rectangular in cross section and having a pointed end 10 to define a cutting edge whereby the spike may be quickly and conveniently set and having a head 11 at theopposite end projecting laterally from the front face of the shank 9. A portion of the rear face of the shank 9 adjacent the laterally projecting head 11 is cutaway, as.

indicated at 12, to define a transverse shoulder 13, and a dove-tail groove or slot 14: is formed longitudinally in the rear face and is of approximately the same depth as the depth of the cutaway portion 12. The inner wall of the groove 14 adjacent the cutting edge of the spike shank is inclined or curved outwardly, as at 15, with relation to the longitudinal axis of the spike shank to effect lateral deflection of the pointed end of the locking member to be hereinafter described. The side Walls of the groove 14: are outwardly converging and the width of the groove at the end opposite the head 11 is increased to provide the oppo-- sitely inclined wedging surfaces 16 disposed adjacent the deflecting surface 15, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

The locking member designated generally by the numeral 17 includes a shank 18 wedge shaped in cross section and a head 20 at the opposite end. The locking member 17 is slidably mounted in the groove 14: and the length thereof is approximately the same as the distance between the inclined or deflecting surface 15 of the spike shank 9 and the head 11, as illustrated at the left of Fig. 1, so that when the head 20 is moved into the plane of the head 11 of the spike proper the pointed extremity 19 of the locking member is engaged with the deflecting surface 15 of the groove 14.

In use, the spike shank 9 is driven into the tie 22, or other object, in the usual manner until the head 11 is firmly engaged with the upper surface of the rail base 23 or other object. It will be understood that the looking member 17 duringdriving of the spike, is disposed in the position illustrated at the left of Fig. 1, so that the locking element and spike proper are simultaneously driven into the tie by blows delivered upon the heads 11 and 20. The locking member is subsequently driven to the position illusspikexagainst removal. 7 When the locking member is properly positioned, the portions of thefinclined side edges at the point of bend-are presented to the inclined surfaces 7 16 offthe spike shank 9, and thus when an "upward pull is exerted upon the locking member, the wedging effect producedby the engagement of the inclined side edges'of the lockingmember 18 with the inclined surfaces l6 effectively resists longitudinal '-movement of the locking member with rela-- tion to the'spike shank 9. .Thedovvnward movement of the locking member relative 'to the spike proper 8 is limited by the engagement'of the head 20 with" the transverse shoulder 13. 7

What we claim is: A spike including a shank provided at one end with a head having a dove-tail groove extending from said head longitudinally along one face thereof, the inner wall of said groove at the end opposite said head being curved outwardly to present a deflecting surface and the adjacent portions of the side walls being oppositely inclined to present wedging surfaces, a locking member slidably mounted in said groove and adapted, during longitudinal movement with relation to the spike shank, to be deflected laterally of the latter by the deflecting surface, said locking member being substantially wedge shaped in cross section and adapted to engage the wedging surfaces to prevent accidental withdrawal thereof, and a head at one end of said locking member.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

SlVAN A. NELSON. OLIVER LONDON. Vitnesses:

WM. Lowns, FRANK BRUNEAU.

coplesot this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

V Washington, I). G. 

